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By Kiran Nazish

When the Taliban attacked 14-year old activist Malala Yousafzai on Tuesday, there was little chance or hope that she could be saved. Two bullets; one in her neck and another in the head left severe wounds. Despite the severity of her injuries, the doctors worked all night to save her life.

Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, who proudly took responsibility for their horrid attack, said pompously that if she survives, they will attack again. According to New York Times journalist Adam B. Ellick, her father and brothers have also been threatened by the Taliban with death.

“Malala was a fan of Obama and spoke against the Taliban,” was an excuse given by the Taliban, as Ehsanullah Ehsan, the Taliban spokesman commenting on shooting Malala said, "This was a new chapter of obscenity, and we have to finish this chapter."

The chapter they are talking about, was 11 years old when she first spoke out against the unjust rule of Taliban in Mingora, Swat Valley. Malala spoke against the brutalities of Taliban through her Diary in BBC Urdu. The Diary of a Pakistani School Girl, written by Malala Yousafzai, was published under the byline Gul Makki, and was widely read for its insight into the lives of the locals in Swat through a young girl's eyes. Her stories were an account of life under Taliban rule in Mingora, which was then very strongly held by Taliban, and in her diary, she intensively urged the need for educational opportunities for females in her area. Malala rose higher to fame in December 2011 when she was awarded the National Peace Prize by the government.

It wasn’t easy for Malala, as one of her schoolmates, (who wishes to stay anonymous for security reasons) told me on a phone call, “She often felt the fear of Taliban, as if she could be shot or killed some day.” According to Malala’s schoolmate, her teachers who were concerned for her security sometimes asked her to stop writing the diary for BBC, but when she did not give up, they appreciated her courage. Women and young girls in her town respect Malala for raising her voice, and her father Zia Yousafzai for encouraging and standing by his brave daughter.

According to the TTP, anyone who (a) stands with the U.S. or agrees with them, (b) speaks against Taliban or disagrees with them, (c) agrees with, advocates or expresses a liking toward the ‘west’, (d) does not adhere to the rules set by Taliban, (e) is not a true Muslim – in other words, does not follow Islam the way Taliban define it; will be attacked. Apparently, the list is much longer, and Malala clearly fit the bill as a Taliban target. As Ehsanullah Ehsan puts it, “whom so ever leads a campaign against Islam and Shariah is ordered to be killed by Shariah.”

The cruel and inhumane actions of the Taliban have brought shock to the citizens of Pakistan. Government functionaries, including the President, Prime Minister, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister, Parlimentarians, politicians in opposition and the military leadership have condemned the attack. Even politicians thought to be soft on the Taliban, like Imran Khan, along with top military commander General Ashfaq Kiyani, have condemned the attack and visited the hospital. Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, daughter of the late Benazir Bhutto tweeted “Pakistan President Zardari, PM Ashraf, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Pakistan Peoples Party condemns the attack on #Malala”

As I write this, she is still unconscious and under intensive care. President Asif Ali Zardari says he has given orders to get the rest of her treatment abroad with an eye on speeding her recovery.

This attack on Malala has shaken Pakistanis out of their complacency. As Taimur Rahman, an activist and Professor at LUMS puts it, “Public opinion is totally anti-Taliban. But this is not enough. The public must put pressure on state and government to use all its resources to once and for all finish the Taliban. Either Pakistan finishes the Taliban, or Pakistan itself will be finished by the Taliban. There can be no middle ground anymore.”

The Taliban in Pakistan are not just anti-drone or anti-U.S. anymore, they are also anti-human rights. Importantly, it seems the fear of Taliban that had frozen the people into ice, is now on a meltdown. As The Guardian writes, this “could be a 'watershed' moment that turns the public tide against militants and extremism.” Policy expert and journalist Raza Rumi says, “Malala's critical condition epitomizes all of us. This is the cost we are paying for our wrong policies & nurturing butchers for expansionism!”

To quote Thomas Jefferson, “One person with courage is a majority”. Cheers to Malala for helping a nation come back to its senses. Her existence is a positive symbol that will hopefully bring Pakistan together, and put the Taliban to shame.

Kiran Nazish is an activist and journalist based in Pakistan. Her focus is on conflict areas and issues. She can be followed on twitter @kirannazish.